Sports as a mirror

In the Trump Era, even championship teams are divided by race

President Trump.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

This is the editor’s letter in the current issue of The Week magazine.

When the Boston Red Sox went to the White House last week to be honored by President Trump for their 2018 World Series victory, about 10 of the 25 players boycotted. All were Hispanic or African-American. "It's personal, bro," catcher Christian Vazquez explained to The Washington Post. Like Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who also didn't go, Vazquez is from Puerto Rico and doesn't appreciate how Trump has treated the U.S. island devastated by Hurricane Maria. In the Trump era, these boycotts have become the norm. The University of Virginia men's basketball team recently refused a White House invitation. Trump angrily disinvited the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 after black players said they would not show up. They did not want to shake the hand of the president who demanded that the NFL fire the mostly black "sons of bitches" who knelt in protest during the national anthem.

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William Falk

William Falk is editor-in-chief of The Week, and has held that role since the magazine's first issue in 2001. He has previously been a reporter, columnist, and editor at the Gannett Westchester Newspapers and at Newsday, where he was part of two reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.